Until 3D HDTVs hit the mainstream, thin is in, and Samsung's UN40B7000 is among the slimmest you'll find. At just 1.2 inches thick (without stand), this sexy sidelit LED-based LCD HDTV is designed to impressbut it comes at a steep price. The 40-inch model rings up at $2,199.99 (list), the same as a 55-inch Vizio LED-backlit set. Also, Samsung had to compromise to get this set so thin. The TV's LED backlight is sourced from the side rather than behind the display, as with many traditional HDTVs, and the downward-facing 10W stereo speakers certainly won't fill a room with crystal clear soundbut in the end, this TV offers up solid performance, Web extras, and it looks just as good off as it does when it's on.

Appearance and Features
The panel measures 27.2 by 39.2 by 1.2 inches (HWD) alone, and the set is 10 inches deep with its stand attached. It looks fantastic when mounted on a wallSamsung even offers a unique "picture frame" style mount, for hanging the TV just as you would a piece of art. This elegant display is the thinnest to pass through the PCMag Labs, with the 1.8-inch thick LG 42SL80 ($1,700 list) a close second. The black HDTV's bezel is attractive, if not a bit large (measuring 2 inches on top and sides, and 3 inches at the bottom), and features Samsung's red "Touch of Color" accent.

Six touch-sensitive buttons are located at the bottom right of the TV, and include Source selection, Menu, and Volume and Channel controls. They're not backlit, like on the LG 42SL80, however, so they can be very difficult to see, especially if the set is positioned below eye level. The back of the HDTV includes a standard selection of connectivity ports, including four HDMI, one component, one composite audio port, and a VGA port. The non-removable power cord is positioned at an angle so it's out of the way if you choose to wall-mount the set. There's also an Ethernet port for hooking the set up to your network, and two ports for viewing content from USB drives or connecting an optional ($80) USB Wi-Fi adapter.

While the front-positioned touch-sensitive controls may be a little difficult to use, the included remote control is fairly intuitive. Measuring 9.4 by 1.8 by 0.8 inches (HWD), the glossy black remote is nearly is thick as the TV itself, but its curved design makes it comfortable to use. Unlike the TV, the remote includes backlit keys, with a dedicated backlight activation button at the top right corner. The remote features dedicated buttons for launching the Internet@TV Web features (more on this later), selecting the content Source, and controlling connected or streaming video playback, along with an array of standard controls. The remote can also be used to control connected HDMI-CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) devices, such as a Blu-ray player or camcorder.

The remote offers full control of the OSD (on-screen display) menu, which is much easier than using the on-unit controls. Though it's the same on all Samsung HDTV models, the OSD can be intimidating at times, even for someone with experience configuring HDTVs and other electronic devices. Menu organization is sometimes unintuitive, and adjusting picture settings beyond the basic factory presets can be a challenge.

The B7000 is in the midrange of Samsung's LED-based LCD lineup, the majority of which feature LED side lighting, with only the pricey (and thicker) B8500 series offering true LED backlighting. 40-inch side-lit models also include the $2000 (list) UN40B6000, which like the 7 series offers 120Hz technology, but lacks the Internet@TV with Yahoo widgets included with this model. For sets with 240Hz technology and true LED backlighting, you'll need to step up to a larger 46- or 55-inch model.

The greatest improvement over the B6000, Internet@TV brings Yahoo Widgets to the set, including on-screen access to services like Twitter and Flickr, along with weather and news updates. And Samsung recently added Blockbuster On Demand and Amazon Video on Demand services to Internet@TV, so you can rent, purchase, and watch movies from these right on the set.

Performance
After performing a basic dark room calibration using DisplayMate for Windows Multimedia Edition, I measured peak brightness at 211.06 cd/m2, and black level at 0.13 cd/m2both very good ratings. The panel's dark-room contrast ratio of 1,498:1 is lower than that of other HDTVs we testedthe $1500 LED-backlit Sharp Aquos LC-40LE700UN achieved a much-higher contrast radio of 2,160:1, for example. Still, overall picture quality was impressive. In my tests, the screen delivered a sharp picture with an acceptable color balance when viewing Star Trek on Blu-ray and high-def (1080i) satellite television. Standard-definition playback wasn't bad, with little distortion or blooming.

The B7000 doesn't offer perfect color reproductiongreen and blue readings were off, but by acceptable amounts, while red levels were near-perfect. Off-center viewing was better than expectedthe display was still bright with little color drop-off when viewed from a 170-degree anglethough like with all LCD HDTVs, you'll get a much better picture if you're sitting front-and-center. Auto Motion Plus 120Hz technology helped boost my Star Trek experience by providing an exceptionally smooth imageas if the camera was simply hovering along for the entire film. Depending on the content, you may find the Auto Motion Plus feature to feel a bit unnatural, as it causes some movies to lose their "film feel." The 120Hz mode improved the set's performance during the HD HQV Benchmark Jaggies test, resulting in a very smooth image with little distortion.

Thanks to its LED backlighting, the B7000 is very energy efficient. After our standard dark room calibration, and with its backlight at full power, the TV consumes 142 watts of power, which translates to an operating cost of $2.45 per month based on five hours of daily use (based on the 2008 national average). When the TV is operated in Energy Saving mode, consumption drops to 58 watts, or $1.00 per month, though this setting is impractical for regular use because it reduces the backlight to an unusable level. The LED-backlit Sharp LC-40LE700UN is slightly more efficient, consuming 120 watts of power, while the LG 42SL80, which features a traditional fluorescent backlight, draws an average of 210 watts. For its energy efficiency, the Samsung B7000 earns our GreenTech seal of approval.

While the $2200 Samsung UN40B7000 is pricier than other LED-backlit sets at this size, its incredibly slim design helps to make this display look superb in practically any setting, especially if you mount it on a wall. If LED backlighting is on your must-have-feature list, but you can't justify spending $2200 on a 40-inch set, consider the $1500 same-size Sharp Aquos LC-40LE700UNit won't win any awards for design, but it still delivers a good picture without drawing much power. With comparable power consumption and impressive picture quality, the affordable, but much less attractive Vizio VF551XVT ($2,200) is also LED-based and worth a look, but without a smaller sibling, this 55-incher might be too large for your living room.

Zach Honig began working at PC Magazine in October 2008 as the product reviews coordinator, after serving as an Olympic News Service reporter at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Zach came to PCMag from...

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